Page 9 of Merrick

Touching the button that dispensed soap liquid, he filled his palm and used the forest green liquid to rub over his body. Andcould not stop the memories from crashing back. It has been twenty years ago. The coming fall would officially make it the twentieth anniversary of the most painful day of his life.

His fiancé and unborn child had perished in a plane crash and had changed his life forever.

Pushing some more buttons, he ducked his head beneath the spray and closed his eyes as the water sluiced over his body and washed away the suds. Laura had been six months pregnant.

And they were having a son. He should have married her before, but they both wanted to wait. And he was supposed to have accompanied her on the trip to Paris to do some shopping, but something had come up at the last minute.

A freak storm. The bitterness surged into his throat and lodged there. A storm that had come up out of nowhere had ended the life of the woman he loved and his unborn son. It had been crippling, so much so that it had taken a hell of a long time for him to function. Work had been his savior.

He had plunged himself into building the business to block out the nightmares and guilt. He had gone through therapy for months before it finally registered that he was not to blame. That he could think of it without breaking down. But sometimes, like now, it would hit him, reminding him that he was not fully healed.

Chapter 3

She did what she was particularly good at. She jogged. Outside of her neighborhood there was a very large park erected and maintained by, ironically, Medtech, the very corporation she would be investigating.

It had been built in the last two years and was a state-of-the-art recreational area, complete with enough entertainment for kids and their parents. Slides, swings, and other equipment, she could not identify at a glance or did not care to.

There were several ponds with ducks floating in the clear water. A sign - ‘Do not feed the ducks!’ had not stopped sneaky children and adults from doing it.

The fact that the park was in a renovated area of downtown had not prevented a pervert or two from lurking. She had busted one who had his pants down and his private in plain view of the children playing. He had not expected her and had been surprised when she whipped out her badge and had him arrested.

Her badge and side piece were always with her. She was an expert at hand to hand, but she ran in the early hours of the morning. Being jumped from behind tends to take one by surprise, even for a seasoned cop like her.

And she was not going to stop enjoying communing with nature, just because perverts and criminal elements tend to do their best works at this hour of the morning. An unlucky bastard had tried to jump her with the intention of raping and robbing her one morning in the height of winter.

But had gotten the surprise of his life and blue balls and several cracked ribs for his effort. He had cried police brutality when she whipped out her badge, but that had gotten him nowhere.

The area was nice enough and the corporation had done a credible job of maintaining it. It was almost six in the morning on a weekday, and she was not the only one who thought of getting some exercise.

Her curious cop’s eyes took in the middle-aged man wheezing his way past her to stop at the fountain to gulp down water as if his very life depended on it.

And the woman, sleek and blonde wearing a bold red body suit who was barely breaking a sweat.

Probably out to pick up a mark, she thought cynically. She was too well dressed, her jogging suit too pretty and too new to be a serious runner. And she was wearing makeup for Crissakes. Just begging to be assaulted, she thought in disgust.

Stopping at one of the set of swings, she did her breathing technique and felt her blood pumping. Rivulets of water were running down her face and between her small breasts and making the clothing stick to her skin.

Dragging out the bottle attached to a contraption around her waist, she took a healthy swing and watched in amusement as the middle-aged man, she judged him to be about her age or a little older – watched as he staggered on and stopped, placing a hand over his chest.

A frown touched her brow as she continued to stare at him, wondering if she was going to have to call an ambulance. But before she could decide on that, he was met by the pretty brunette, who placed a hand across his shoulders and helped him towards one of the benches.

Good, that’s covered. She thought as she finished the bottle of water and tucked it back in place. Placing a foot on the bench, she did her stretches and felt her muscles protesting.

She had pushed too hard today, because she had been away from the whole scene for a long time. She would forego the usual weightlifting when she got home and go straight to doing some laundry. She has been home for three days and it felt like fricking weeks.

But they had been productive days. She had attacked the laundry that had piled up and attended to her gardening. Her rosemary plant had started dying. Brad had stopped by every now and then to air the place out and water the plants, but that had not been enough.

She had taken in a show at the theater and gone to one showing at the local gallery. She would put some shopping in the mix and go to visit her aunt. The woman had called and complained that she was back three days now and had not taken the time for a visit.

“I know you are doing important police business, but I need to see you.”

So, she had promised to be there today.”

“And spend the night. One night will not kill you, Margo. And it has been ages.”

So, she had resigned herself to spending the night.

Stretching some more, she resumed her run, only this time slowing it down to a jog.

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